Thursday, July 28, 2016

Curren$y's show at Venue 578 finds him ready to enter the mainstream

Casual hip-hop fans might be forgiven for not immediately recognizing Louisiana rapper Curren$y, but the unique arc of his long tenure in the rap game (itself something of a rare phenomenon), means that record collectors and ringtone rap fans alike have no doubt heard him; dude’s got an incredible catalog of solid work. Curren$y got his start in 2002 and signed to Master P’s No Limit label as part of the 504 Boyz group. As that enterprise foundered, Curren$y shifted over to Lil Wayne’s Young Money imprint, guesting on The Carter. It wasn’t until 2008 that his first solo album (This Ain’t No Mixtape) dropped. But since then, Curren$y has been beyond prolific, with a handful of albums and over 18 mixtapes, not to mention collabs with everyone from Kendrick Lamar to Wiz Khalifa. The laconic, seemingly perpetually stoned rapper’s newest album, Canal Street Confidential, could very well be the one that catapults him into the pop consciousness. This Orlando appearance, part of the Stoned on Ocean tour, is a chance to see an underground rap icon engage with the mainstream on his terms.